Additional Information from ATPE

Voting Record

Senate Vote #1 - 2017: EDUCATION FUNDING (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Voted for the final version of the state's budget bill.

Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this primary budget bill. The Senate voted on May 27, 2017, to adopt the conference committee report and approve final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #2 - 2017: STUDENT TESTING (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Supported relief from high-stakes testing. Voted for a bill to extend the Individual Graduation Committees (IGC) law to help qualified high school students graduate in spite of failing a required STAAR test. ATPE supported the bill.

Senate Bill 463 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading and final passage on May 1, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #3 - 2017: RETIREMENT BENEFITS (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Supported short-term funding for retired educators' healthcare. Voted for a bill that restructured TRS-Care, the health insurance program for retired teachers. The bill prevented the TRS-Care program from running out of money in 2017 and leaving retired educators without health coverage. ATPE supported the bill.

House Bill 3976 by Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve its committee substitute version of the bill on third reading and final passage on May 21, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #4 - 2017: RETIREMENT BENEFITS (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Opposed long-term state funding increases for retired educators' healthcare. Voted against an ATPE-supported amendment that called for a permanent increase to the state's contributions to TRS-Care, rather than a one-time supplemental increase. The amendment did not pass.

Floor amendment #3 by Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) to Senate Bill 19 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The Senate voted against the amendment on July 25, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted inconsistently on vouchers. Voted to allow the Senate to suspend its rules and bring a private school voucher bill up for a vote, but eventually voted twice against the bill, which called for both tax credit scholarships and education savings account vouchers. ATPE opposed the bill.

Senate Bill 3 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. This ATPE-opposed bill called for creating private school vouchers in the form of tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts. The Senate voted to approve the voucher bill on second and third readings on March 30, 2017, but the bill ultimately died in the House. (View an official record of the votes here and here in the Senate journal.)

Voted: No

Senate Vote #6 - 2017: EDUCATOR QUALITY (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Voted for a bill that would have lowered standards for educator preparation programs. ATPE and many in the education community opposed this bill, which would have rolled back SBEC rules aimed at ensuring all children have access to well-trained educators.

Senate Bill 1278 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve its committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on May 10, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) SB 1278 ultimately failed, although some pieces of the legislation were added to other bills.

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #7 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Authored and voted for a bill that would take away educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary professional association dues. ATPE opposed the bill, which passed the Senate but ultimately failed in the House.

Senate Bill 13 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve its committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on March 30, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #8 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Opposed allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Moved and voted to table (kill) an ATPE-backed amendment that would preserve educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary dues paid to professional associations.

Motion by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) to table floor amendment #4 by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) to Senate Bill 13 by Huffman, 85th Legislature, Regular Session. ATPE opposed the motion to table, supported the Lucio amendment, and opposed the bill. The Senate voted on March 29, 2017, to table the ATPE-supported amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #9 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Moved and voted to table (kill) an ATPE-backed amendment, which would have applied a proposed ban on payroll deductions to all types of deductions, rather than discriminating against educators who join professional associations.

Motion by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) to table floor amendment #6 by Sen. Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso) to Senate Bill 13 by Huffman, 85th Legislature, Regular Session. ATPE opposed the motion to table, supported the Rodriguez amendment, and opposed the bill. The Senate voted on March 29, 2017, to table the ATPE-supported amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #10 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Opposed local options allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Moved and voted to table (kill) an ATPE-backed amendment that would have allowed local school boards to decide whether or not to offer their school district employees the right to payroll deduct their voluntary association dues.

Motion by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) to table floor amendment #7 by Sen. Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso) to Senate Bill 13 by Huffman, 85th Legislature, Regular Session. ATPE opposed the motion to table, supported the Rodriguez amendment, and opposed the bill. The Senate voted on March 29, 2017, to table the ATPE-supported amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #11 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Opposed allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Voted for a bill that would take away educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary professional association dues. ATPE opposed the bill, which passed the Senate but ultimately died in the House.

Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading on July 26, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: Yes

Senate Vote #12 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Opposed allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Voted against an amendment that would preserve educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary dues paid to professional associations. ATPE supported the amendment.

Floor amendment #1 by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) to Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The Senate voted to reject the amendment on July 25, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: No

Senate Vote #13 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Opposed allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Voted against an amendment that would preserve educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary association dues as long as there is no cost to the state or school district. ATPE supported the amendment.

Floor amendment #5 by Sen. Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio) to Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The Senate voted to reject the amendment on July 25, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted: No

Senate Vote #14 - 2017: SCHOOL SAFETY (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Supported David's Law. Voted for a bill to prevent and respond to cyberbullying in schools. ATPE supported the bill.

Senate Bill 179 by Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report and finally pass the bill on May 27, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Authored and voted for a bill to prohibit school districts and other governmental entities from offering payroll deduction as a means of letting their employees pay voluntary dues to professional associations. ATPE opposed the bill, which was likely unconstitutional and designed to discourage public employees from joining professional associations. The bill ultimately died in the House.

Senate Bill 1968 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on May 7, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted for a bill to give some high school students who've failed certain STAAR tests a pathway to graduate. The bill allows individual graduation committees to decide, based on the student's academic record and other measures, if the student is college- and career-ready. ATPE supported the bill, which later passed the House and was signed into law.

Senate Bill 149 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on March 17, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted for a bill to do away with the minimum salary schedule for teachers and compel school districts to evaluate and compensate their teachers based on measures that are potentially unreliable, such as students' standardized test score data. ATPE opposed the bill, which ultimately died in the House.

Senate Bill 893 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on April 7, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted for a private school voucher "scholarship" bill that would divert state franchise tax dollars away from the state budget and use them to subsidize private and religious schools that are not held accountable to taxpayers and voters. ATPE opposed the bill, which ultimately died in the House.

Senate Bill 4 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on April 21, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted for a bill to expand "parent trigger" laws in Texas and make it easier for struggling schools to be placed under private management and subject to deregulation upon a petition by parents. ATPE opposed the bill, which was pushed by the controversial group Texans for Education Reform. The bill ultimately died in the House.

Senate Bill 14 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on March 31, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted for an accountability bill to assign "A" through "F" letter grades to school campuses. ATPE opposed the bill and opposes assigning failure labels to schools. This bill was part of a package of reform legislation being pushed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R). SB 6 did not ultimately pass, but a similar provision was added to another comprehensive bill (HB 2804) that did pass.

Senate Bill 6 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on March 31, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

Voted for a budget bill providing increased funding for public education and a partial restoration of the education budget cuts made in 2011.

Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this primary budget bill. On a motion by Sen. Williams, the Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report on May 25, 2013.

Voted against a measure that would have moved $200 million out of the transportation budget and into the public education budget instead.

Senate Joint Resolution 1 by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. The bill supplemented the primary budget legislation by calling for the expenditure of some "Rainy Day" funds for state projects, including water infrastructure and economic development. Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) offered floor amendment #5 as an attempt to add funds to the public education budget. The Senate failed to adopt the Watson amendment April 23, 2013.

Voted against two measures that would have increased public education formula funding by taking money out of a controversial merit pay program.

Senate Joint Resolution 1 by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. The bill supplemented the primary budget legislation by calling for the expenditure of some "Rainy Day" funds for state projects, including water infrastructure and economic development. Sens. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) and Wendy Davis (D-Ft. Worth) both offered floor amendments (#2 and #3, respectively) in an attempt to increase public education formula funding. The Senate rejected both amendments with identical record votes April 23, 2013.

Voted against a teacher quality bill to raise the standards for entering the education profession; require school districts to provide appraisal results to teachers in a timely manner and consider multiple years' appraisal results in making personnel decisions; and require the state to conduct a survey of teacher working conditions and salaries.

House Bill 2012 by Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this bill. On a motion by Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), the Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report May 26, 2013.

Voted for a bill to create the Texas Teacher Residency Program, a high-quality university program through which new teachers would receive stipends and employment at a school district or charter school while earning a master's degree.

House Bill 1752 by Rep. Diane Patrick (R-Arlington), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. On a motion by Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin), the Senate voted to approve its version of the bill on third reading May 17, 2013. (The House later accepted the Senate version of the bill, enabling the bill to be finally passed.)

Voted for a bill that would have reduced time spent on standardized testing in grades 3-8; required validation of the tests and better monitoring of state contracts with test vendors; and called for a state study of the high number of curriculum standards (TEKS).

House Bill 2836 by Rep. Bennett Ratliff (R-Coppell), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. On a motion by Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), the Senate unanimously voted to approve the testing and curriculum-related bill on third reading May 22, 2013. (The House also approved the bill, but it was later vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry.)

Voted: Yes

(Historical) Senate Vote #8 - 2013: TESTING (Date Voted: 12/31/1969)

Voted for a bill to reduce the amount of standardized testing in grades 3-8 by allowing certain students with high STAAR scores to skip the exams in some years.

House Bill 866 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. On a motion by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), the Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading May 21, 2013.

Voted for a bill to require schools to notify the public if a full-time school counselor is not assigned to the campus.

Senate Bill 401 by Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this bill requiring public notice when a full-time school counselor is not assigned to a public school campus. On a motion by Sen. Lucio, the Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report May 26, 2013. (However, the bill later died when a similar motion to adopt the conference committee report failed in the House.)

Voted for a bill to expand the number of charters granted by the state and change the charter school authorization process.

Senate Bill 2 by Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this bill expanding charter schools in Texas and changing the process by which charters are granted. On a motion by Sen. Patrick, the Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report May 26, 2013.